"Single elimination brackets are used for both solo and team tournaments, as single elimination means competitors are out of the tournament after losing only a single game, whether or not if it is a team or non-team tournament. Where is the flyer? I am going to double-check it."
Knick locates the flyer, "The flyers have 'winner', not 'winners' on them so that does indicate it is not a team-based competition tournament. I was hoping the tournament would have been an opportunity for us to compete as a team."
Knick's typically prepared druid cantrips are Healing Plaster and Light. For the day of the tournament he will be preparing Healing Plaster and Spout.
"Do any of you know if it the competition is solo or team-based? Maybe we should decide now who is on our teams based on teams of two, three, four and five, should that be how the tournament is set up?"
As Knick disappeared beneath the surface of the water from his dive, he stayed beneath the surface of the water as he swam to shore. Just before he emerged he proliferated the water around him to form a 5-foot tall and wide column of water to fountain up from the surface of the river, which fell back down onto him as he resurfaced.
Knick smiles in response to Ikto's nod towards him and mingles with the guests, mostly listening to them tell him and others about themselves.
After mingling for a while, Knick says to Tzeniwe, "Happy anniversary of your birth, Tzeniwe. Have you ever went bird watching with Teacher Ot?"
After speaking with Tzeniwe, Knick gestures for Hess to go around the corner of the dormitory to speak with him.
"We did not acquire a bird costume for you to wear. If you still want to add to the show, Hess, I could coordinate with you if you want to dive off the dock so that the splash you make is larger than everyone expects it to be."
Knick is standing on the diving board of the floating dock, panpipes in hand as he mimicks some bird sounds with it, and continues making musical bird sounds for ten minutes as Ikto, the twins and Tzeniwe come around the corner of the building to see the assembled hidden gathering of artists and fellow students.
"It would be nice if other musicians were playing with me to add more bird sounds, we still want an bird outfit for Hess."
Knick asks Kesi, "Kesi, if we hired you would you also have a bird costume that we could use for Hess to wear during the party? One that you do not mind him swimming in."
Knick retrieves a 1-gold trading freshwater pearl and tells Ikto, "I can put this towards hiring Kesi so in addtion to the music I provide we have a wonderful visual bird dance for the party as well."
"Would any of you be willing to barter performance for performances? You help us with our surprise party for our schoolmate, and I will help you each with a future performance, as long as it does not contradict with my schedule being a student at the Magaambya. We could treat the surprise party this week as getting some experience towards surprising Takula and Niana for their anniversary."
Knick leads the group to the Dance Courts area of the city, "The musicians Ta...Teacher Ot and I play with can usually be found here."
Enjoying the ecclectic dances from visitors from different parts of the world, Knick spots one of the musicicians he has played with. He brings the group over and introduces his fellow students and musician friend to each other, "Everyone, this is M'pwar. He plays the chimes and flute."
After introductions are completed, Knick explains the basics of the group's mini-quest then indicates for Ikto to explain in more depth.
"Thank you, Zigg. You and your friends are welcome to swim out to and use the dock and diving board after we have it anchored." Knick says with gratitude.
Looking to his dorm mates, "Anything else after we bring the wood back to the dorm before we leave to speak with the entertainers?"
Knick extends his hand out towards Zigg for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Zigg. I think I will join in for it. Za Minyahil tells me that you might be able to help us out. By chance do you have any spare dead wood around that would be suitable for making a floating dock with a diving board?"
Knick is impressed by the ingenuity of the leshies, "Impressive crafting you are doing. What do you call them? I am Knick, and am new to the Magaambya."
Knick's build looks fine. Need gear. The average of the group so far is 68.75, so we can round up to 70gp to start. If you want something Uncommon or Rare, please ask first.
I figure you joined the initiates late but there is some reason (you can tell us) why Teacher Ot selected you to join mid-term. You will have a room in the Spire - I don't recall which rooms where taken, so maybe others will know. Not sure it matters except for verisimilitude.
You can join in the board game as soon as you are ready.
Here is the relevant post for you, Hess.
@GM: It was for your Iron Gods PBP that you gave the new PCs lower starting wealth because the established PCs were under average wealth/level for being 3rd level.
"What kind of insects have they been dealing with?"
After Za Minyahil answers, he adds, "Wood that is already dead would be preferable. We do not need to end a tree's life for the purpose of our recreation. Are you friends with the leshies?"
See discussion, as there has not been a 'it is the next day' yet in game discussion, so the lecture is tomorrow evening, not this evening.
The boisterous twins finally ask Uncle Ikto if he will help them plan a surprise birthday party for their mother -- her birthday is in two days. They leave the particulars to their uncle and his friends, but want to do something especially nice for their mom.
Meanwhile the group recalls that a famous young Sun-Mage teacher, Mafika Ayuwari, who is recently returned from the fabled Ruby Phoenix tournament in Tian Xia, is holding a special lecture tomorrow. It is said that Teacher Ayuwari hopes to reinstitute Starday combat tournaments, in order to improve the fighting skills of the intiaties and attendants.
LMK if you want to attend the lecture, and how you plan to make preparations for the birthday party, if at all.
I think there is some confusion.
First question: Is it still not the same day we played the board game?
Second question: Based from my posts, the board game was earlier in the day (Knick walked to the Magaambya with Teacher Ot in the morning from Teacher Ot's home, and would have arrived at the Spire Dormitory before lunch time, then shortly after Knick arrived, the others arrived back to the Spire Dormitory, so the board game was played in the late morning), so we should have the rest of today for classes, then head downtown.
Tomorrow evening is when the lecture is.
The day after tomorrow is when the twins want to throw the surprise party for their mother.
Ikto says "I suppose I could help you search for musicians, as I said I know a performer and he might be happy to help us, Knick. Also I need to shop a bit in town for material and more."
"When do you want to want to leave for our recruting and your shopping? Now or after I give Hess his first swimming lesson?"
"Sure, Hess. I can give you some basic swimming lessons that should suffice so you can swim to shore after your dive. I can give you your first lesson now and another one later today after I have come back after talking to some of the musicians I have in mind."
reminder: Knick asked the group as a whole if any of them would like to go with him when he talks to the musicians.
Knick's plans for today: attend classes, try to recruit some of the local musicians he has played with before, give Hess a couple swimming lessons.
Knick's plans for tomorrow: attend classes, assist anyone who decides to build a diving board platform (floating dock style, so Hess (and others) are diving into deeper water than the what is by the river's shore.
Knick smiles at Hess' idea, "Hess, do you how to how to swim? Do you like diving into water? If Hess does, do any of you think you could build practical diving board in one day for Hess to dive into the river as he flies through the air into the water? If you make the diving plank large enough, I could be standing beside Hess playing bird sounds with my panpipes before he adds to the performance by diving in dressed as a bird."
"I have a few musicians in mind that could help with adding music similar to birdsongs. Would any of you like to accompany me to talk with them about putting on a suprise performance for Tzeniwe?"
Are we using Hero Points in this campaign? If yes, how many hero points do the two new PCs start with? I am debating using a hero point to reroll the Performance check if that is an option.
Can I use Nantambu Lore in place of the the Diplomacy check?
"Zachva and Zanvi, does your mother like listening to music?" Knick asks the twins. If they answer that she does, he will ask them if their mother has any type of instrumental music she enjoys listening to more than other types.
After the twins have left, if they answered that their mother likes listening to music, when neither the twins or their mother are present, he will quietly ask the others, "Do you know if their mother has any favorite musicians that play in Nantambu? Suprising both her and her twins with such a performance might increase their enjoyment. I have played with some of the local musicians and might be able to find some that would agree to put on a surprise performance."
If the twins indicate a particular type of instrumental music their mother enjoys and/or the others indicate a favorite musician/band she likes, Knick will use some of his free time later today and tomorrow to see if he has 1) any fellow musicians in town he has performed with he might be able to request helping him put on a surprise show and 2) try to recruit her favorite musicians/bands who would be willing to help be part of such a surprise party musical performance. Knick will try to do a musician 'favor for a favor' trade, that he will join them for future musical performances that does not interfere with his classes at the Magaambya.
Knick is interested in attending the special lecture tomorrow, so will make sure his time spent trying to recruit musicians does not conflict with attending Mafika Ayuwari's special lecture.
"A waterfall, not a rock. Obviously, not everyone knows what the game is, or I would have known about the game already, Hess." Knick says with a friendly smile. "Thank you for the explanation. I do not want to play that particular game."
"Slap-Whiskey Goblin style? I have questions, Hess. What is Slap-Whiskey? What is the difference when you play Goblin style? Can you play it with non-alcoholic beverages as well? Is the object to win to be the one who does the most slapping or the one who gets slapped the most? Where do you slap? Face? Back? Backside? Hands?"
The facial expression on Knick's face indicates he is being sincere about wanting to know the details of the game Hess mentioned.
Knick looks at the rules after Hess, perusing them, his left eyebrow raises as he tries to comprehend the rules, "So we take turns in what order?" He then hands the rules to Za Minyahil.
Clarify, please, Hess. Does Hess lick his own palm or does he lick Knick's palm?
Knick resists the urge to pull his hand away but recalls in time there are a myriad of greeting customs and he only knows a puddle's worth in an ocean's worth of customs, "Pleased to meet you, Hess. My village is in the jungle a day or two the south and east from here. Which direction is yours from here?"
Hearing the inflection of the word, 'oh', Ikto uses, he asks him, "Are you from Garund or another continent of Golarion?"
"Za Minyahil, did you travel as far as Ikto did to the Magaambya?"
"Noxolo, is this board game a Garundi game or is it from a distant land?"
Knick extends his arm for a handshake with M'Baba, "Are any of you from Nantambu, or did you all travel to study at the Magaambya?"
After introductions are made, Knick looks at each of his fellow initiates and says their name, watching their expressions for signs that he might be mispronouncing their name, and if so, will ask them if he is pronouncing it correctly.
Knick also scans his classmates to see if any of them have any obvious musical instruments displayed on their person, and if so will ask them if they would like to jam together on the on grass by the edge of the river later in the day.
"Thanks, Takulu, er, Teacher Ot," Knick says to his friend, "Have a fun day."
Knick walks into the building, and is greeted by someone (whichever NPC you want that might be there, GM) and the two of them introduce themselves, and the first dormitory mate he meets shows him the two vacant rooms that Knick can select from.
Liking the view of the frog pond and the river from the window, he chooses that bedroom as his own, and thanks the student.
Knick transfers his extra clothing from his backpack to the dresser, and places his backpack on top of it, then spends a few minutes watching the frogs. He wonders if the pond might be deep enough to dive into it from the roof. "Thank you, Jalaijatali."
As the others are arriving and starting to set up the game in the common room.
Knick walks to the doors of his bedroom and closes the doors (so he is in his room), as he activates his kinetic aura and small waterfalls appear in the air around him. He concentrates some more and a larger volume of water appears above his head and falls down onto him. He gets his panpipes in hand and evaporates the water from them before deactivating his kinetic aura, then makes a bit of music with them.
He then walks out to the sounds of people in the central common area and heads over to introduce himself to more of his fellow students.
The others might hear the sounds of wet sandals walkking on the floor before Knick comes into view.
A 5'7" tall man with the complexion of a zenji human comes into view, who looks to be in his later teenager years, his long dark hair, which is tied back with a basic hair tie, is damp and droplets of water cover his flesh, clothing, the pouch on his right hip and what seems to be a healer's bag on his left hip. The only noticeable dry thing about him is the wooden panpipes he holds in his right hand.
"Hi, everyone. I am Knickpoint Crest. Feel free to call me Knick." Knick transfers his panpipes to his left hand, then shakes his right hand to cause the water to fall to the floor from his hand, then moves forward with his right arm extended for handshake greetings.
As he closes in for personal handshakes, it is evident that he is not a zenji. He is an azarketi with the same complexion of the zenji humans of the Mwangi Jungle.
When they arrive outside of Spire Dormitory, Teacher Ot tells Knickpoint to go inside and introduce himself to his fellow students and select one of the vacant bedrooms as his.
Is the board game being played in Spire Dormitity or somewhere else on campus?
Knickpoint arrived in Nantambu the evening before just as the sun was setting. He had dinner at his friends, Takula and Niana's house. They invited him to stay overnight with Takula walking with him to the school in the morning and completing his official orientation on Magaambyan grounds, then walking him to the Spire Dormitory.
Knickpoint's orientation Q & A:
"Who are you?"
"I am Knickpoint Crest, of the Rivermist people of the Kurka River. I am someone who reveres Jalaijatali."
"What interests you?
"A variety of things. For myself, someday I would like to dive from the top of Alken Falls. For others, I would like to become more skilled in the art of medicine and be able more powerful healing magic. For myself and others, to add more music to the beauty of the world."
What do you consider your greatest strength?
"What do you think it is?"
What work have you done to bolster those in and around the Magaambya before now?
"Adding to the music of the Song-Wind City."
What do you seek at the Magaambya?
"In addition to what I have already said, to make friends, to learn both what I came here to learn and learn useful things that I am sure will be a surprise, hopefully pleasant and not unpleasant surprises."
Once you have attained that which you seek, what goals do you wish to achieve?
"I am not sure what all the future goals I will have will be, but I would like to share the knowledge I learn from the ones that came before with the ones who come after."
"Can you light this candle without flint or matches?"
"I could with some dry tinder and rubbing them together, but it is wet outside, and I would prefer not starting fires when it is not necessary, as fire can be unpredicatble with how the wind blows. We are in the Song-Wind City, not the Fire-Wind City."
"Can you get a feather from this bird without plucking one?"
"I would not appreciate someone plucking any of my hair out, so I would not want to cause needless pain to the bird to pass whatever test this is. I could yell loudly at it, which might make it shed some feathers from being frightened, but I am not going to do that either."
"This is a harmless Garundi shovel-snout. But it has secrets. Look closely, hold it if you wish, but the test is: can you get a secret from this snake?"
Knickpoint takes the snake from Teacher Ot and moves it around to get a full 360 degrees by 360 degrees look at it.
Nature:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
"What secrets did my friend impart to young initates?"
"Your friend has a hidden spike on the tail."
Can you soothe the soul of this bone?"
Knickpoint gets his panpipes in his hand plays some relaxing notes.
Performance:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
"Can you make the stone dance by itself?"
"By itself, no, but with a partner, yes." Knick activates is kinetic aura and conjures a small puddle of water underneath the bone, then causes the water to expand to becoome over 500 gallons of water Can make water expand to fill a 5 foot-sided cube (one space) via Proliferate of Extend Kinesis, which is 935 U.S. gallons (779 Imperial gallons)
As the water quickly falls back to the ground, the stone gets sloshed around, and rattles to a stop a few seconds later.
"You see six symbols before you, which do you choose? These may kindle your innate talents into a tiny spark of magic to use. Of course, not choosing is also allowed and has its own reward.
a flickering candle
balanced scales
a multipronged key
pursed lips
an open hand with an eye in the palm
a running hourglass
Sidebars from the Kindled Magic's Life in the Academy section:
(first sidebar)
GMS, SHARE THIS WITH YOUR PLAYERS
The details of the academia subsystem aren’t a secret. This article is spoiler-free and written from a player’s perspective, so you can share it with your players and help them make informed decisions for their characters’ academic careers. Throughout the Adventure Path, you’ll find numerous opportunities to tie into the academia subsystem, called out either in sidebars or in the text.
(second sidebar)
ACADEMIA? NO THANKS
While many players in an Adventure Path about a magic academy might be interested in developing their characters’ academic careers, some might want to skip right to the action. That’s okay! You can either skip the subsystem entirely, in which case characters will be a little less versatile than normal, or just allow characters to automatically advance their primary branch at every even level, to a maximum branch level of 11 when the character reaches level 20.
(third sidebar)
ROLEPLAYING ACADEMIA
The academia subsystem is at its best when the players and GM use the opportunity as a backdrop for roleplaying events and occurrences that highlight the reality of life at a magic academy, rather than just quickly rolling some skill checks and tallying up branch levels. Maybe one hero has to go on a hunt for a book that should be available in the library but has been lent out multiple times, while another must convince a straitlaced professor to allow them to conduct a potentially dangerous experiment. For more guidance on ideas for downtime events and how to intersperse them throughout downtime, refer to pages 22 and 25 of the Gamemastery Guide.
* *
The other spoilers in my post include the non-flavored text from the Life in the Academy section (and none of the flavor text). The only non-flavor text not included in the following spoilers is the bit at the start of the Life in the Academy section, which is as follows:
In the Strength of Thousands Adventure Path, you’ll have the opportunity to play characters who are students at the Magaambya, the oldest and most storied magic school in all Golarion. You’ll learn new magic, advance in your studies, choose one of the five prestigious branches to join, and more. As you continue your academic career, adventure will call, but you’ll never cease to be a Magaambyan, tied inextricably to the thousands upon thousands of students who came before you, stretching across eight millennia of history and tracing back to the legacy of Old-Mage Jatembe, one of the most legendary and powerful wizards in the history of Golarion.
The academia subsystem helps you express your character’s academic and intellectual growth throughout your time at the Magaambya, starting as a new initiate struggling to find your place at the school to an academic powerhouse respected by all researchers in your field and beyond. You’ll continue your studies alongside your adventuring career, allowing you to gain a series of useful benefits to improve your character’s capabilities based on the progress of your academic work.
The brief summary descriptions of the five branches (this one is not potential spoilers):
Magaambyan scholars believe in many fundamental values of scholarship. Key among them are adaptability, camaraderie, imagination, knowledge, and valor. The school’s faculty and lessons are divided into five branches, each emphasizing one of these values.
Cascade Bearers esteem imagination, from the dreams of the most visionary magical theorists to the innovations of creative problem-solvers of all stripes.
Emerald Boughs emphasize camaraderie, the sense of community and connection to fellow Magaambyans; they also interact with those outside the Magaambya and spread the academy’s message.
Rain-Scribes value adaptability in thoughts and deeds, as well as a willingness to admit errors and learn from past mistakes.
Tempest-Sun Mages inspire valor, not only the physical courage to stand up for friends and the school, but also the intellectual courage to consider opposing viewpoints and widen one’s understanding rather than staying entrenched in a single paradigm.
Uzunjati understand that knowledge lives in stories passed down through the generations and also is earned every day through personal experience.
Associated Skills for each of the five branches (used for Study skill checks) (wait for GM to approve before opening this spoiler):
Cascade Bearers: Arcana, Occultism, Religion
Emerald Boughs: Deception, Diplomacy, Society
Rain-Scribes: Medicine, Nature, Survival
Tempest-Sun Mages: Intimidation, Performance
Uzunjati: Crafting, Lore
Associated Lores for each of the five branches (wait for GM to approve before opening this spoiler):
Cascade Bearers: Academia Lore
Emerald Boughs: Specific settlement (such as Nantambu Lore)
Rain-Scribes: Specific terrain (such as Forest Lore)
Tempest-Scribes: Warfare Lore
Uzunjati: Any Lore
Associated General Feats for each of the five branches (wait for GM to approve before opening this spoiler):
Cascade Bearers: Canny Acumen
Emerald Boughs: Adopted Ancestry
Rain-Scribes: Fleet
Tempest-Sun Mages: Toughness
Uzunjati: Incredible Initiative
Leveling up your Branch Levels (wait for GM to approve before opening this spoiler):
While all Magaambyans are expected to embody these values to varying degrees, and members of the different branches work together on and off campus, every student joins one primary branch to shape their academic understanding. In addition to this choice, you’ll also select a secondary branch that influences the expression of your primary branch and supplements your education. Your learning within these branches progresses from levels 1 to 20, just like your character. You can never have more levels in your primary branch than your character’s level, and you can never have more levels in your secondary branch than half your character’s level. When you create your character, choose a primary branch and a secondary branch; both begin at level 0.
Classes at the Magaambya are open to students of any branch, but each focuses on the values embodied by a specific branch. If your primary branch is Tempest-Sun Mages and your secondary branch is Rain-Scribes, you’ll attend Tempest-Sun Mage classes to advance your level in your primary branch or Rain-Scribe classes to advance your level in your secondary branch. You don’t need to create a specific course load or class schedule, since you’re always choosing whether to focus on your primary or secondary branch.
BRANCH SKILLS, LORES, AND FEATS
Each branch has two or three associated skills, one or more subcategories of lore, and a general feat. As you gain levels in your branch, you’ll gain benefits that apply to the associated skills and lore, as well as the associated general feat.
CHANGING BRANCHES
It’s perfectly natural that a player might choose a primary or secondary branch at character creation and, after roleplaying the character for some time, decide it was the wrong branch to represent their character’s personality. While your GM could create a downtime activity to allow branch retraining in place of advancing in a branch, this can wind up permanently leaving your character behind the rest of your party. Instead, work with your GM to swap out your branches. Keep in mind, the Magaambya looks extremely poorly on those who flippantly attempt to alter their branches of scholarship to gain personal power and will staunchly deny any such exploit.
Advancing Your Branch Level
Unlike your character’s level, your levels in your primary and secondary branches don’t advance automatically when you gain Experience Points. Instead, you advance your branches through academic achievement; early in your career, this typically happens via bookwork and exams. As a student at the Magaambya, you can use either the Study downtime activity or the Cram downtime activity to represent your accomplishments in your studies and exams, with the timing based on the academic calendar (as noted for the GM in each volume of the Adventure Path).
Truly accomplished scholars also might be able to use the Practical Research activity as a downtime activity in the field to gain additional new insights and academic advancements during adventures, as opposed to during the normal curriculum. Later volumes of the Adventure Path will note such opportunities for the GM, but if you have additional ideas for location-based research beyond those provided in the adventures themselves, the GM might reward your creativity with an additional opportunity to perform the Practical Research activity and raise your branch levels!
Even with these extra opportunities, you can’t advance your primary branch level above your character’s level, or your secondary branch level above half your character’s level (both with a minimum of 0). If the result of any of these activities would raise a branch level past those limits, put a star next to your branch’s level. The next time your character gains a level, raise that branch’s level to the new limit and erase the star. This way, if you have an opportunity to advance your branch level, you don’t have to wait until your character level is high enough to pursue it.
Each of these downtime activities takes a few months, as they occur over an academic semester. You might have encounters during or between these checks as the story requires.
STUDY
DOWNTIME
Requirements You are an initiate, attendant, or conversant.
You give everything you have to your studies, in keeping with your branch. Choose either your primary or secondary branch and attempt a skill check with one of the branch’s associated skills against a standard DC of the branch’s level.
Critical Success Incredible results! You ace every exam and cause a stir that all the instructors notice. Increase the level of the branch you chose by 2.
Success You succeed in your studies admirably. Increase the level of the branch you chose by 1.
Failure You need to work harder and try again. Your branch level remains the same.
Critical Failure You make a major mistake that requires you to perform remedial studies. The next time you would get an opportunity to attempt this activity, you must skip that opportunity to catch up.
CRAM
DOWNTIME
Requirements You are an initiate, attendant, or conversant, and your branch level for either your primary or secondary branch is 2 or more levels below the limit.
Realizing that you’re falling behind in your studies, you cram more than you probably should. You Study twice, each in a branch that satisfies the activity requirements. However, the extra studying comes at a price. Until the next time you take the Study downtime activity, you’re particularly tired from all the extra hours cramming; at the start of each day of adventuring, you must succeed at a DC 8 flat check or be fatigued for that day.
PRACTICAL RESEARCH
DOWNTIME
Requirement You are a conversant or lore-speaker.
You identify something interesting in the field and perform special research on it. This requires an appropriate check, which the GM will describe when the opportunity arises. The results of the check vary. While they typically include all the benefits of the Study activity, some opportunities for Practical Research also offer unique benefits, such as access to new character options.
Branch Benefits (wait for GM to approve before opening this spoiler):
TABLE 2: BRANCH BENEFITS BY LEVEL
Level: Benefit
1: Additional Lore
2: Steeped in History +1
3: Dedicated Attendant
4: Skill Feat (Trained)
5: Branch Influence +1
6: Skill Increase (Expert)
7: First Branch Feat
8: General Feat
9: Skill Feat (Expert)
10: Skill Increase (Master)
11: Steeped in History +2
12: Second Branch Feat
13: Branch Influence +2
14: Skill Increase (Master)
15: Skill Feat (Master)
16: Make Your Own Luck
17: Branch Influence +3
18: Skill Increase (Legendary)
19: Skill Feat (Legendary)
20: Magical Paragon
At every branch level, you gain the benefit listed in Table 2 above. The benefit entries below also include the branch levels at which you gain them.
1st level: ADDITIONAL LORE
At 1st level in a branch, you learn more of the Magaambya’s deep well of lore associated with your branch. You gain the Additional Lore feat in a Lore skill associated with the branch.
2nd level: STEEPED IN HISTORY
At 2nd level in a branch, you learn about the history of the branch and the Magaambya in general. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Recall Knowledge about the Magaambya, the tenets or history of your branch, and
members of your branch.
At 11th level, this increases to a +2 circumstance bonus.
3rd level: DEDICATED ATTENDANT
At 3rd level in a branch, if you have completed your Perquisite, you
have proven your commitment to a sufficient degree that your branch promotes and supports you as an affiliated attendant. The first time you reach this level in a branch, you gain the Magaambyan Attendant Dedication feat (Pathfinder Lost Omens Character Guide 101) as a bonus feat (even if you haven’t taken enough feats with a previous archetype to take another dedication feat).
4th level: SKILL FEAT
At 4th level in a branch, you uncover hidden techniques that grant you extra benefits from your branch’s associated skills. You gain a skill feat that requires the trained rank in one the branch’s associated skills.
At 9th level, you gain an additional skill feat that requires the expert or trained rank in one the branch’s associated skills; at 15th level, you gain an additional skill feat that requires master or lower rank in one of the branch’s associated skills; and at 19th level, you gain an additional skill feat that requires legendary or lower rank in one of the branch’s associated skills. For any of these skill feats, you can select a variable skill feat, such as Automatic Knowledge or Assurance, as long as you do so for an associated skill.
5h level: BRANCH INFLUENCE
At 5th level in a branch, you gain greater influence, making it easier to collaborate, hoodwink, or browbeat members of that branch. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus on Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, and Performance checks to interact with members of the branch.
At 13th level, this increases to a +2 circumstance bonus, and at 17th level, it increases again to a +3 circumstance bonus.
6th level: SKILL INCREASE
At 6th level in a branch, and every 4 levels thereafter, your studies lead you to deeper understanding of your branch’s associated skills, causing you to gain an additional skill increase that you can use to raise one of the branch’s associated skills, up to a maximum of expert.
At 10th branch level or higher, you can use these skill increases to become a master in a skill in which you’re already an expert. At 18th level, you can use this skill increase to become legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master. For Uzunjati, who have Lore as an associated skill, you gain the Additional Lore feat when you choose to improve Lore, instead of gaining a single skill increase to a Lore.
7th level: BRANCH FEAT
At 7th level in a branch, you become so immersed in your branch’s secrets that you gain access to special training only offered to other members of your branch. You gain the 6th-level Magaambyan attendant
archetype feat requiring affiliation with your branch (such as Uzunjati Storytelling for the Uzunjati). You must still meet any skill prerequisites the feat has. If you already have that feat, you gain an additional 6th-level class feat (even if your branch’s feat was not a class feat).
At 12th level, you also gain the 10th-level Magaambyan attendant archetype feat requiring affiliation with the branch (such as Tempest-Sun Shielding for the Tempest-Sun Mages). If you already have that feat, you gain an additional 10th-level class feat (even if your branch’s feat was not a class feat).
8th level: GENERAL FEAT
At 8th level in a branch, your understanding of your branch’s traditions improves your general capabilities, stretching beyond your studies in specific skills. You gain the general feat associated with the branch. If you already have that general feat, you gain a 1st-level general feat of your choice instead.
16th level: MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK
At 16th level in a branch, you’re so accomplished with your branch’s associated skills that you make your own luck. Once per day, you can reroll a skill check with one of those skills and take the new result. This is a fortune effect.
20th level: MAGICAL PARAGON
At 20th level in a branch, you embody the branch so completely that you gain a unique special ability depending on your branch. Many of these abilities build upon Magaambyan attendant archetype feats you have gained.
Cascade Bearers: Nothing is beyond your imagination. Once per day, you can cast any common 7th-level spell from the arcane, divine, occult, or primal spell lists without expending a spell slot. When you do, you use your spellcasting proficiency for your halcyon spells.
Emerald Boughs: You can stretch your hideaway well beyond the original intended usage, creating a special extradimensional abode in which to rest with your allies, host visiting diplomats, and more. At any time, you can spend 1 minute to enter and expand your hideaway into a magnificent mansion; it remains in this form until you leave, at which point it expels all remaining guests and becomes a normal hideaway as Emerald Boughs Hideaway until you spend another minute to enter and expand your hideaway again.
Rain-Scribes: You can adapt to almost any situation. You can survive in severe and extreme cold and heat without taking damage. You move at full Speed through difficult terrain and greater difficult terrain, and take no damage from hazardous terrain. When using Rain-Scribe Mobility, you clear the effects of all three types of terrain from the spaces you enter for 1 round.
Tempest-Sun Mages: You have the courage and magic to protect all your allies from harm. When you use Tempest-Sun Shielding, you can choose
to reduce the triggering damage to you and all allies within 30 feet by four times the spell level, rather than reducing the triggering damage to you or a single ally by four times the spell level.
Uzunjati: You know a surprising number of stories, and you weave them all together into a coherent narrative. When you use Uzunjati Recollection, you Recall Knowledge three times instead of once, each with a +2 circumstance bonus. You also gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your skill check for Uzunjati Storytelling from the captivating combined narrative.
A week or two before the current school year started, Teacher Ot had traveled to the mistbreath azarketi village Knickpoint is from, to escort Knickpoint to the school.
For players who are familiar with the Mwangi Expanse map:
The mistbreath azarketi village (homebrewed, not Paizo canon) is located on Kurka River (a tributary river of the Vanji River southeast of Nantambu) and is about halfway between the mouth of the Kurka River and Brimstone Falls.
Teacher Ot's trip to Knickpoint's village a week or two before the current school year started:
Unfortunately Knickpoint's grandfather had fallen ill.
As much as Knick was looking forward to studying at the prestigious Magaambya, he told Teacher Ot that he was needed at home to help tend to his grandfather's care.
Teacher Ot told Knick he understood, and that he is welcome to start his studies during the second semester of the school year, which would give time for Knick's grandfather to recover.
Takula (Teacher Ot) stayed the night to help tend to Knick's grandfather. Teacher Ot taught Knickpoint which signs to look out for to gauge whether his grandfather's condition is improving or or worsening, and what to do if it worsens.
Before Teacher Ot left the azarketi village, he talked with the wave order druid elders of the village and asked if they would be willing to act as in-field instructors for Knickpoint for his first semester. They gladly agreeed to be Knickpoint's instructors for his first semester.
During his first semester 'in the field', which was a combination of remaining in the village being taught various medicinal skills to help his grandfather recover, and after his father recovered, learning more about the river and jungle surrounding the village, including the use of certain animal call whistles to help lure predators (crocodiles and snakes) away from the village, as well as one to call water lizards (the sacred animal of the deity Jalaijatali).
Are either of the two rooms closest the frog pond vacant? (The room with the window view of the pond and the room with the shortest walking distance to the frog pond.)
Using spoilers to not spoil things for other players.
Spoiler:
Are you using the default DCs as presented in Kindled Magic?
Level 1 Branch DC (standard DC==> 15)
Knickpoint ==> result 12 ==> Failure ==> Branch Level (0) remains the same.
* *
Is Knickpoint (and other new PCs) joining the main PC cohort of students or are we part of another chohort of students? Something else?
Suggestion for Knickpoint: As he is friends with Takulu and Niana, since he is still Level 0 in both of his Magaambya branches, maybe he is just joining the school, and is assigned to Spire Dormitory.
As for living at Spire Dormitory...working with all the rooms are occupied (since you had six PCs originally) --> for the iteration of Knickpoint for your campaign I can have Knickpoint live in Nantamnu instead of being from a riverside mistbreath azarketi village which is located on the Kurka River, a tributary river to the Vanji River, that is southeast of Nantambu, which is near (west of) Brimstone Falls.
Since Knickpoint is accustomed to living both in buildings and outside, at Spire Dormitory his 'room' could be Frog Pond (A18). (sleeping on one of the couches in the common room during lightning storms/tempest winds weather).
In my SoT campaign I added kineticist to the free archetype options (being primal magic class and the Rage of Elements book came out after SoT was released). The original iteration of Knickpoint is a water elemental bloodline sorcerer with the water kineticist free archetype and the beastmaster archetype (crocodiles).
I used custom feats to incorporate a Pathbuilder 'blank' character sheet that includes the Primary Branch benefits and Secondary Branch benefits at the minimum level they are accessible at (as stated in Kindled Magic).
Most of the custom feats will need to be edited to incorporate whichever bonus skill increase, bonus skill feat, bonus general feat, bonus archetype feats (aside the Dedication feat), etc. that an individual player chooses for their character.
